Showing results by narrator "Steve Carlson" in All Categories

Does it feel like people are getting stupider? No, it’s not your imagination. New government data shows that the general intelligence level in the US is plummeting. Investigative reporter Ben Wozniak is trying to uncover why. Is the quality of teachers to blame? Or the increased use of AI? Or dependence on social media for all of our opinions? Or is it the rise of book banning by conservative school boards? Or chemicals in the water? Or maybe something in the in the air?

A dying confession from an old man in a nursing home leads ex-detective Dan Landes and Panamanian Police Chief José Fernando into an amazing and twisting story of real crime, including million-dollar real estate fraud, illegal Ibogaine retreats, prostitution, scams, international cover-ups, political pressure, tycoons shielded by high-priced lawyers, and, of course, murder.

Wounded while retaking the Armory, Talon's recovery is slow and painful. Unaware that his family in Texas are having to deal with similar situations from within their own community. With still no action or assistance from the Federal or State governments, each community must deal with daily shortages of their basic needs. Civilization and civility have been replaced with every person for themselves. Lawlessness and chaos are the new normal. Large population centers have for the most part become unsustainable.

When police chief José Fernando recruits his friend Dan Landes to help investigate a case of murder and human trafficking, neither of them expect to find that solving the case rests on the memory of a single mentally-challenged lottery seller.

Talon is just trying to get home as quickly as possible. Still recovering from recent wounds, Talon and his small group are heading for the Ohio River in the hopes of gaining transportation downriver. But inadvertently becoming a target for retribution after saving two young kids from a marauding gang. With no intention of becoming involved in the local power struggle, Talon's small group decides to change their plans of heading straight for the Ohio River. Instead, they attempt to cross the vast rugged mountains of West Virginia on horseback to throw off their pursuers.

Blaine Sullivan's world has turned upside down. Torn away from his hidden sanctuary—the alluring woods behind his house—the sixteen-year-old's frazzled, abused mother takes him away from his unstable father who struggles with his anger and alcoholism. Now in an unpleasant change of scenery that is his mom's older brother's house, hours away from home, Blaine realizes his summer will be anything but fun. Blaine endures his uncle's sour attitude and harsh insults--until Brandon begins to come around.

A region of space with different laws of physics. A child’s story about black holes. An interoffice memorandum presaging the end of the world. An alien named Gerald. These are some of the stories you’ll find in There Is No Cat, a collection of short fiction by Gene Doucette. Each story is unique, both in the topic and the telling, as Gene never seems to approach his stories the same way twice. See what our world looks like from the perspective of a newly self-aware nanobot, or the eyes of a precocious child. Read between the lines of corporate-speak for news of an impending apocalypse.

What if you created the PERFECT meme crypto coin? Not a scam, not a rug pull, not a hoax, but the perfect new crypto token that everybody wanted to buy? Hector Gonzalez, a 15-year-old in Panama, has done exactly that, and people are buying it—by the millions.

An ambitious doctor opens up a fancy weight-loss vacation resort for the ultra-wealthy in Panama, hoping to kickstart an Ozempic empire. The profits are high, and Wall Street is hungry for a piece of the pie. But when the clinic's semaglutide cocktail turns out to be a recipe for murder, expat Dan Landes is drawn into the investigation.

What if there was a pill that stopped all addiction? Dr. Disraeli Gaye has developed such a pill, and it’s on its way to FDA approval. The drug cartels are watching nervously. But everyone else wants in, from drug addicts to doctors to Wall Street. The only problem is…someone is trying to kill the good doctor.